Film-holder for picture-exhibiting machines.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

M. SMITH. FILM HOLDER FOR PICTURE EXHIBITING MAGHINES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

INVENTUR M 724; waif/L w/m ss s.- z

,4 TTORNEVS No. 814,406. I PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

M. SMITH.

FILM HOLDER FOR PICTURE EXHIBITING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED mm. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m V IIIIINIIIIINIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'" 3 45 i i1\ a a. 541%.. L 17 "mm" WITNESSES. INVE/VTUH faylzua J77! if]! ATTORNEYS UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

" Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March. 6, 1906.

Application fiIed May 1,1905. Serial No. 258,301.

To a l], whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAGNUS SMITH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba and Dommion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Film-Holder for Picture-Exhibiting Machines, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description. The pur ose of the invention is to provide a film-hol er for use in connection with picture-exhibiting machines, which will be simple, durable, economic, and readily operated and in which imperforate films can be used, thus simplifying the o eration and greatly adding to the lifetime 0 the films.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a construction whereby through one complete rotation of the main shaft certain grips or clutches are brought into play in order to draw the film down just the width of a picture on the film to be exhibited and there to hold the film still while the first-named factor again ascends for another operation, all of which is accomplished during the mentioned single revolution of the main shaft.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ,of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved device, the gripping device for operating the films being 1n its highest position or in position to carry the film downward. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device, taken at one side of the center. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal center taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section illustrating the application of a spring to the lower or retaining gri per.

The device is essentia ly a film carrying and operating attachment to picture-exhibiling machines and may be applied to such machines in any convenient or desired manner.

In the construction of the machine a front or body plate A is emploved, having an exposure or sight opening therein and a lower opening 11, which is partially in the interest ol' lightness and artially to provide ac cess to the film for a justing the same to the grippers, to be hereinafter described. Brackets 12 extend down from each side of the censhaft 19.

ter of the lower portion of the front or body plate A, projecting downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, and in said brackets, quite close to the front of the body-plate A, a guide roller 13 is mounted to turn, while at the free ends of the brackets a shaft 14 is located, u on which shaft a reel 15 is mounted. The fi In 16 is wound upon this reel as sa d film passes from the exposure or sight opening 10, and said shaft 14 is provided with a pulley 17, driven by a belt connection 17 with a cor responding pulley 18 on the main or drive This main or drive shaft 19 crosses the lower portion of the lower opening 11 in the front or body plate A, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is journaled in suitable bearings 20, secured to the rear of said plate. The shaft 19 may be turned by power, if desired, but, as illustrated, is rotated by a hand-wheel 21, secured to one end thereof.

The shaft 19 is provided with a fan-shaped cam 22, attached to its central portion and adapted as a lifting-cam, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said shaft is further provided with a cam 23 at the left of its center and. with a cam 24 at the right of its center, the cams 33 and 24 being formed by suitably reducing the diameter of the shaft 19, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1. The high point of one of the said cams 23 and 24 is diametrically op posite to the corresponding point of the other, and in the normal position of the shaft 19 (shown in Fig. 1) the lift-cam 22 extends vertically upward, as does likewise the lower point of the left-hand cam 23, while the high point of the right-hand cam 24 is uppermost at such time.

A suitable tightener is provided for the belt 17 which tightener is hinged to the rear of the front or body plate A and is held in engagement with the belt by a spring 26.

The film 16 is imperforate and is guided at the sight or exposure opening 10 in the bodylate 'Aby a guide-plate 27, secured to the hack of the body-plate and having an under cut forward face 28. The said guide-plate is provided with an opening 29, registering with the si ht or exposure opening 10. i A side is located at the upper portion of the slot 11, having movement upon the rear face of the body-plate A, which slide exroe tends beyond the side walls of the opening 1 1 cated, so that one member of an arm is at the front and the other member is at the back of the body-plate, and the remaining portion of the said arms 31 at their outer edges and the corresponding edges of the slide are provided with grooves 32 to receive the side edges of the openin 11, as is'shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by positive lines in Fig. 3, and in the front central portion of the slide 30 a recess. 33 is made, extendin from top to bottom, which recess is of slightly greater width than the width of the film 16, as is shown by Fig. 3. At the left-hand edge of the slide 30 knuckles 34 are formed, which receive between them the knuckle 35 of a door 36, held normally closed at the righthand edge of the slide by a latch 37 of any approve type.

A gripper B, preferably in the form of a plate, is pivoted at its up er edge to the upper edge portion of the side 30 at the back of said slide, suitable bearings 38 being provided for the urpose, and the said gripper is provided with forwardly-projecting r1bs 39, which extend through suitable openings in the slide 30 into its recess 33. The ribs 39 are preferably vertical and are ti ped with rubber 40 or other soft materia and are adapted by frictional engagement with the film to hold the film at proper time tightly against the door 36, and such time is when the filIn is to be moved downward or a picture is to be shifted. A finger 41 is secured to the left-hand portion of the gripper B, which fin er extends from the said gripper B downwar to an engagement with the cam 23 on the 'main or drive shaft 19, and at the lower edge of the slide 30 a horizontal projection 42 is formed. On this projection a spring 43 is secured, having bearing against t e rear face-of the gripper B, as is shown in both Figs. 1 and 2, and a spring 44, preferably a coiled spring, is secured to the under face of the rojection 42 and to the body pla'ite A, pre erably at a point near its lower en The action of the cam 23 is through the finger 41 to carry the lower or free portion of the 'pper B either outward, so as to free the m from the ribs 39, carried by the gripper, or to permit the spring 43 to act to force the said r1bs 39 to gripping engagement with the film. The slide 30 is forced upward by. the lifting-cam 22 en aging with the projection 42, and as the sha t 19 is turned the said liftcam permits the slide to dro it being drawn downward by the action of t e spring 44.

A supportin -plate 45 is firm y secured to the rear of the ody-plate A at the lower portion of the slot '11, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the lower edge of the lower gripper B is pivoted on the sald fixed late 45, suitable bearings 46 bein provided or that purpose. At the upper or ee end of the lower gripper B a finger 47 is secured, which is carried rearward and downward to an engagement with the cam 24. The rear face of the fixed plate 45 is provided with a recess 48, corresponding to the recess 33 in the slide 30, the recess 48 being for the same purpose. A door 49, corres onding to the door 36 used in connection wit the upper gripper B,is provided for the lower gripper B, the said door, however, being hinged at one edge to the left-hand side of the body-plate A at the front at the lower portion of the opening 11, as is indicated in Fig. 4, the opposite or righthand edge of the door 49 being provided with a suitable latch for engagement with the righthand portion of the body-plate, so that the film in its passa e is carried down throu h the recess 48 in the lower fixed plate 45. The lower gripper B is provided with ribs 50, which ass through suitable openings in the fixed p ate 45 into the recess 48, as 1s shown in Fig. 2, and said ribs 50 act u on the film 16 in the same manner as has Been described with reference to the ribs of the upper gripper B.

When the finger 47 of the gripper B engages with the high point of the cam 24, the ripper B is carried outward to release the lm from en agement with the ribs 50; but when the sai finger 47 en ages with the low point of the cam 24 the ri s 50 of the lower gripper B engage with the said film and serve to hold it stationary while the slide 30 is being carried upward through the upward movement of the lift-cam 22. The lower gripper B is forced to move outward to a grippin position relative to the film through the me ium of a spring 51, (shown articularly in Fig. 4,) which spring is secure to one side portion of the fixedplate 45 and has bearing against the corresponding edge portion of the lower gri er B.

The film is passed dbwn throu h the space between the guide-plate 27 an the bodyplate A, crossing the exposure-openings l0 and 29, as is shown in-bot Figs. 1 and 2, and the doors 36 and 49 are then opened and the film is adjusted to the ribs of the upper and the lower gri pers B and B, and then the doors are closed Finally, the film is carried over the guide-roller 13 at the bottom of the device and attached in any suitable or approved manner to the reel 15.

In operation, the arts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, y turning the shaft one revolution the following action takes place: The finger 41 will at such time be in engagement with the low point of the cam 23, and consequently the ribs 39 of the upper gripper B will be in engagement with the film, as is shown in Fig. 3. As the shaft revolves and the lift-cam 22 descends the spring 42 acts to draw the slide 30 downward, and just about the time that the lift-cam 22 is again about to engage with the projection 42 of the slide to raise 1t the complete picture will have been IIO displayed at the exposure-opening, and then the low point of the cam 24 will be engaged by the finger 47 of the lower gripper B and the said gripper will be forced by its spring 51 to an engagement with the film, holding the film stationary, whileat the same time the high point of the cam 23 will be engaged by the finger 41 of the upper ripper B and said gripper will be taken out of frictional engagement with the film, permitting the slide 30 to be carried upward, while the lower gripper B revents the film from moving at that time. hen the slide has reached the extent of its upward movement, the low oint of the cam 23 will be in engagement wit the finger 41 of the upper gripper B, causing it to be brought in engagement with the film, and the high point of the cam 24 will be in engagement with the finger 47 of the lower gripper B, carrying the said gripper out of engagement with the film and permitting the film as it is carried down by the next downward movement of the slide to be properly wound up on the reel 15.

Having thus described my invention, I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In film-holders for picture-exhibiting machines, abody-plate having an ex osureopening therein, a guide for the film ack of the said opening, a main-shaft, a sliding gripper above the main shaft, a fixed gripper below said shaft, both grippers being in the path of the film, and means operated by the shaft for alternately carry ng one gr pper to gripping position and for releasing the other gripper. l

2. In film-holders for picture-exhib ting machines, a body-plate having an ex osureopening therein, a guide for the film ack of the said opening, a main shaft, a sliding griper above the main shaft, a fixed gripper beow said shaft, both grippers being in the path of the film, means operated by the shaft or alternately carrying one gripper to gripping position and for releasing the other ripper, and a device also carried by the shaft or controlling the sliding movement of the slidin gripper.

3. n a film-holder for picture-exhibiting machines, a body-plate, an imperforate film,

guards for the same, a main shaft, a gripper mounted for pivotal and a sliding movement, a gripper below the shaft having ivotal movement only, both grippers being ocated in the path of the film, a lifting-cam for the upper gripper controlled by the said shaft, cams forming portions of the shaft, having their highest points facing in opposite directions, fingers connected with the grip ers in engagement with the shaft-cams, w ereby when one gripper opens the other closes, and a reeling device for thefilm also operated from the same shaft.

4. In film-holders for picture-exhibiting machines, a body-plate having an exposure opening therein and an opening below the exposure-opening, an imperforate film which crosses the two openings in the body-plate, a guide for the film at the exposure-opening, a s ring-controlled slide having movement at t e upper portion of the lower opening, a gripper pivoted on the said slide, having ribs which extend through openings in the slide, a spring arranged to normally hold the said gripper closed, adrive-shaft below the said frame, a supporting-plate crossing the lower opening at itslower portion, a second gripper located below the said shaft, being pivoted on said supporting-plate, said second gripper having a spring which normally closes it, and ribs upon the said second gripper which pass through its supporting-plate, a door carried by the slide, being arranged opposite the gripper thereon, a second door carried by the body-plate, being opposite the second or lower ipper, and means substantially as describe for raising and lowering the said slide and opening and closing the gripper carried thereby, and means also operated from the said shaft, for opening and closing the lower gripper alternately with the upper one, the

said film being passed across the exposureopening and between the grippers and the said doors.

5. In a film-holder for picture-exhibiting machines, a body-plate having an exposureopening therein and a second opening below the exposure-opening, a slide mounted upon the body-plate at the rear and at the upper portion of the lower opening therein, a gripper carried by the said slide, a projection extending from the slide and a spring connected with the projection and the said body-plate,

a shaft located below the said slide, a fanshaped cam secured to the said shaft and arranged for engagement with the projection from the slide, a cam formed in the shaft at eachside of, the fan-shaped cam, the latter cams having their highest points facing in opposite directions, a support crossing the lower portion of thelower opening in the bodyplate, a second gripper pivoted on said support, tension devices for both grippers, and fingers extending from the grippers, which fingers engage with the cams on said shaft, the grippers being adapted for alternately opening and closing movement relative to the film passed over the exposure-opening, as described. r

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAGNUS SMITH.

- Witnesses:

: SAMUEL J. Ro'rHWELL,

LEONARD S. CAs'rMoRE. 

